Shuda are an animal native to the planet Ocarro. There are both domesticated breeds and wild breeds, with the wild breeds being much more common.
Appearance
Shuda are small, tending to be only around fifty pounds in weight and around two feet in height. They have two sets of legs, with three digits on each paw with the front paws each tipped with sharp claws. Their hind legs are slightly lower than their forelegs and they have a downward-sloped posture. This odd posture of theirs helps prevent attackers from getting a firm grip. They have short triangular faces, with large ears, round dark eyes, and sharp teeth. They also have short tails.
They have reddish brown fur with dark spotted markings along their back and around their face, these markings help them disperse heat and see in the sun. They also tend to have paler fur on their stomach and undersides. Domesticated breeds have fewer markings and also tend to be fluffier than their wild brethren.
Biology
Diet
Shuda are omnivores, eating both meat and plants for food. They often hunt their food in groups, stalking as close as they can to their prey before charging and bringing it down in groups. They are known to hunt Crocela both wild and domestic, making them a problem for farmers. In cases where they are hunting smaller prey, they often will dig into their prey’s burrows and catch them when they try to get out.
They may also dig for roots and vegetables, sometimes even digging up Ardo Corms, and eating them.
Behavior
Shuda are social but do not always live in large packs, really only meeting up and working together to bring down larger prey that they wouldn’t have been able to bring down by themselves.
The gestation period for pregnancy lasts three months, with the mothers giving birth to litters of up to six offspring, called pups, who live and are provided for by the mother until they reach adulthood. The fathers are not involved in the offspring's life.
Shuda live in burrows dug into the soil or in small caves. They sleep there during the night and go out during the evening and early morning to get food and avoid most of the sun's heat. They will often live with or near other Shuda, mostly close family members.
Uses
As stated earlier, there are domesticated breeds as well as wild breeds. The wild breeds very rarely socialize with humans or other species often running away or -if cornered- attacking; the domestic breeds on the other hand have been conditioned and bred for their domesticity towards humans and are often kept as pets or more commonly work animals. Domestic breeds are often trained to herd livestock, protect property, or assist with hunting.
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